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Nicholson58 · 13-04-2014, 06:54

If you know what you are looking for, call these guys Home Page We were in there a couple weeks ago. They have NOS, overstock, out of business etc. Buckets of Groco stuff at very low prices. Some of the large valves were 12 to 30 bucks.

If you ever are in the area, this is the candy store. The web site shows less than 10% of the stock.

Blue Crab · 13-04-2014, 07:24

Thanks all for the help and link. I'll be reusing my old ones if I can. All seacocks look reasonably good visually but all wooden spacers are shot. There's some question now if I have the rubber-cone tapered plugs per the tradesman. He's now 0 for 2 on stuff for me. Two stikes and yer out. I'm only out $40.

This is why we have to do our own work. Ya just can't trust people to know what they say they know.

Like Sand Crab's signature, "I've got to start hanging out with a better class of losers."

delmarrey · 13-04-2014, 08:41

Just sell them on Craig's list or ? They're just dead weight. Do you think they would give you your money back?

**s/v Jedi** · 13-04-2014, 08:43

This is the right stuff:

goboatingnow · 13-04-2014, 09:29

Good bronze ball valves can be got from most good industrial supply houses. Not a difficult thing to find. Here in the UK/Europe , they are easily acquired.

I buy them wholesale

Dave

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Terra Nova · 13-04-2014, 10:25

This.

Nicholson58 · 13-04-2014, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

This is the right stuff:

Note the tel-tale reddish tint.

My PO used a couple of Home Depot yellow brass valves on the refrig system. This was before I knew better. I tried to cycle the valve and wound up with the handle in my hand and a void where it used to be. 40 bucks is better than a lost boat. Also, note in the EU, they have lower standards and permit parts that have an expected life of XXX. This presumes you will replace it all every 2 or 3 years. Dumb.

Blue Crab · 13-04-2014, 10:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Just sell them on Craig's list or ? They're just dead weight. Do you think they would give you your money back?

I won't really be out the money Del, but thanks for the thought. My pal probably got them for nothing, left over from a previous job. I'll send him up the mast or put him on the dumber end of something if his ego can handle it.

He's still wiping his nose after he "wired" my new Sterling charger. It didn't work and his counsel was some weak BS about programming. I'm one of those wimpy guys that reads the instructions so I doubted that. I sweated out watching the house bank go to 50% before I turned everything off.

Monday morning, I'm about to call tech support, and I stared at the setup long enough for me to realize he hadn't run the new positive cable to the batt bank itself.

I found it curled up, forgotten, and out of sight. 10 seconds later, all was grand, as the charger put out 30+ amps for hours.

I just installed the last new handrail and could have used him on one end. Still, my (3) vice grips drank no beer, and I didn't have to listen to any BS. I used MS's butyl tape to bed them. Sure is less hassle and less mess than goop in a toop.

I'm not unhandy, just slow, and not yacht quality work usually. I just put teak plugs in the handrail thrubolt holes. My neighbor was impressed. I thought to myself, "is there another way?"

Thanks to all for the comments. I've read about those Groco adapters. You just know I've got that mismatched thread thing going with my mushroom thruhulls. If I can't get them wholesale, I'll try HopCar. I'm in a boating community, tho, so things are generally available. Especially used things.

Cavalier · 29-05-2014, 17:00

O

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Conundrum: I have acquired two 3/4" ball valves in exchange for a $40 advance to a tradesman. Plus a couple of 45 degree angles that I don't need. Tradesman announced the valves were $60 US list each.

Heh.

I can buy wholesale thru a comm'l fishermans outlet but I'm willing to pay $20 each to help the guy out.

And a similar valve, bronze, can be had for 33.00 at West Marine.

Anyway, my valves are Valpres, made in Italy. They look exactly like this:

Trouble comes: I cannot make sense of the markings on the valves. They appear to be bronze to me: cast, not shiny, much darker than brass fittings.The one in the above pic is being marketed as brass on Ebay. A lot of people don't know the difference but as offshore, 200 nm sailors, we do. Is there a surefire way to tell brass from bronze?

It's very easy to tell the difference between Bronze and Brass (containing zinc). Go to HomeD, buy some Muriatic acid (Hydrochloric Acid). Drop a small amount onto the valve outer body. If it's bronze it'll be unaffected, if it's cheap brass the spot will become pink as the Zinc is removed and the copper content becomes more obvious.
These valves may be DZR brass, which will not necessarily show as pink due to the inherent resistance to de-zincification.. True DZR valves should be just as usable as bronze anyway.

Blue Crab · 29-05-2014, 17:32

Thanks Cav. Sounds like an easy test to use. I returned these valves awhile back. With the plugging of my head t-hulls, and the sink drains re-routed, I'm down to just the engine t-hull and seacock.

Next haul I'm going for the best or perhaps re-using the Groco on there now or something. I say it that way as I have a Yanmar now but am fairly certain an Atomic 4 was original. The intake seacock is now too close to the engine to exercise. Gotta love previous owners!